Toilet and sewer pipe backups may result in sewage entering your basement or other portions of your home or company. This dark, thick water is highly hazardous and contains quite a lot of dangerous contaminants. These contaminants consist of pathogens, bacteria and viruses and present health risks and illness dangers if people or animals experience exposure. Finding a remedy to these problems ASAP is imperative, as is getting rid of the sewage from your home or business. Having knowledge of what may lead to sewer backups may help you avoid a hazardous situation in your home or basement. Please see this list of things that may help prevent sewage backups that can occur in your home or business:

Causes of Sewage Backup

  • Drain Pipe Blockages – Sewage can back up into your home or business when either your drain pipes or the main sewer line gets clogged. For example, if one commode creates a sewage blockage, the drain leading to that toilet, or the mainline of multiple toilets, will likely also be clogged.
  • Tree Roots – Trees with large roots can move into pipes and cause holes or alter the sewer line by growing around it. Even if the roots in your yard are not the issue, roots from nearby trees can reach your sewer line and damage it, causing a sewer backup. Always be aware of roots where your sewer lines to the street or septic system is located.
  • Aging Sewer Lines – Aging sewage systems can break down and crack, causing sewage backups and flooded homes and basements. The older your neighborhood is, the greater possibility of these types of incidents.
  • Extreme Weather – Sudden large amounts of rain can overburden your town’s storm sewer mains. If the public storm sewers can’t handle large amounts of rainfall, the water can make its way into connected sewer lines, which can leave your home or business at risk of water backflows. City-wide flooding waters from events such as rising rivers and creeks, hurricanes, and other micro events can also mix with sewage water and other chemicals and harmful bacteria that can lead to health-related issues. Extreme caution is needed when trying to walk in these waters, and even when the water recedes and begins to dry out. Dried up organic matter can then become aerosolized and present the possibility of breathing it into your lungs. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn to stop any contact and risk of breathing in this harmful matter.

Our Chicago, IL sewage cleanup and sanitation process

Our procedures for Category 3 water (also known as sewer and contaminated water backup) cleaning, following the IICRC industry standards, consists of:

1. Ensuring safety for all employees and occupants by placing restrictions on site access to remediation personnel only in order to prevent health related occurrences.

2. Health & safety survey and complete building assessment.

3. Ensure all restoration personnel are supplied with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE). This includes but is not limited to:

  • Full face respirator
  • Full body suit protection
  • Nitrile and cut resistant gloves
  • Rubber boots with steel toes and shank

4. Put engineering controls in place, as well as critical barriers if needed to stop any cross-contamination from occurring.

5. Preventing all potential hazards and safety risks if possible.

6. Bulk water, soil, and contaminates removal

7. Eradication and disposal of all contaminate affected porous and semi-porous items that is not restorable – which can include but is not limited to:

  • Hardwood flooring
  • Padded and upholstered items
  • Gypsum board
  • Carpet, rugs, pad, or underlayment
  • Vinyl flooring and underlayment

8. Implement cleaning methods and use of EPA certified biocides and antimicrobials

9. Manual cleaning of all remaining structure areas

10. A clearance test by a third-party Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is recommended to assure the building is returned to a pre-affected condition for health and safety.

11. Drying of all materials affected by the sewer water intrusion back to pre-loss dry state

12. After completion of remediation – Cleaning of all equipment used

13. Disposal of all demo materials removed from the project

Call PuroClean for your Professional Chicago, IL Sewage Cleanup Needs!

Reach out to the PuroClean professionals for sewage abatement, cleaning and remediation. Whether it’s from a stopped up toilet, flood waters or sewer pipe backups to take care of the problem for your home or business. PuroClean uses the latest, state-of-the-art equipment and cleansing tools to completely and effectively clean and remediate all affected items and structures.

The high standard of our sewage abatement and cleaning services along with the rapidity in which we complete the work, and the sheer compassion we demonstrate throughout the process make us your complete water damage restoration and remediation company. PuroClean promises to do whatever it takes to save, clean and restore all properties that are within our service regions.

*Not all PuroClean offices provide sewage cleanup and sanitation cleaning services.

"Staff [was] very pleasant and did everything I asked of them. Thank you, PuroClean!"

ROWENA S.

"They did a great job! They were all very careful with everything - removed cabinets and trim beautifully. Worked long and hard to finish in a time frame that was very helpful."

MARY BETH H.

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